Snakes in your yard can be a healthy thing, especially if you have pests they eat

Wildlife-loving posts on Facebook are sometimes not for faint-of-heart gardeners.

Especially when they involve snakes that gardeners find in their yards.

This year, my Facebook feed is populated with snake-centered posts almost daily.

In Gloucester County, gardener Judith Haynes shares a photo of a rather large kingsnake burying into soil next to her deck. Her post reads:

"This was next to my deck. If you see one in your yard, please let it be. Here is what Mike Salotti, VP of the Virginia Herpetological Society, says about it: 'Kingsnakes get their name for a reason. They do not discriminate when it comes to food items and will eat both venomous and nonvenomous snake species. They are truly an awesome snake to have around.' "

My yard is much the same. I've spotted several green snakes and a couple of black snakes. When I raised the garage door to fetch the newspaper early one morning, a juvenile kingsnake greeted me on the driveway. When I tried to shoo him into the grass with a broom, he coiled and shook his tail vigorously. Instead of doing that, he'd have been better served by scooting for the grass and some camouflage because we have plenty of hawks looking for a good meal. Instead of being a hawk's breakfast, I would rather Mr. Snake survive to dine on some of the moles and voles that also like our yard.

More snakes?

Are we seeing more snakes this year for some reason?

"I have been hearing quite the opposite," says Travis Land, herpetology curator at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News.

"It seems like a lot of things got a late start this year due to the late spring. The herpetologists at the museum have not been seeing the things we normally see this time of year," he said.

Increased snake sightings by the public could be attributed to several things, Land said.

"There may be a more condensed breeding season due to the late start this year or there may be some development that cleared a section of forest and displaced many of the animals that live there," he said. "I would not be surprised if the neighborhoods around the Oyster Point/Jefferson intersection have seen more animals around their yard this year."

Snakes 101

There are 34 species of snakes found in Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and most of those have ranges that extend into Hampton Roads.

However, only three of the 34 species are venomous and these three are not regularly encountered in Hampton Roads, but can be found in high densities like cottonmouths at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach, according to Kory Steele president of the Virginia Herpetological Society (www.vaherpsociety.com).

For instance, a small population of canebrake rattlesnakes lives at Hampton's Sandy Bottom Nature Park, but no copperheads and cottonmouths are found at the facility, according to Amber Diehl, park ranger aide.

Cottonmouths live in swampy parts of Newport News Park, so they are rarely seen by the public, according to a park ranger. He said he's seen one canebrake and never seen a copperhead in his 25 years at the park.

"Whether or not you think a snake is potentially dangerous, you should not try to kill it," Land said.

"Most bites from a venomous snake occur when people try to capture or kill the snake. Death from snake bite is very rare — 99 times out of 100 when someone calls or emails the Virginia Living Museum to identify a snake they saw in their yard, it's actually harmless."

Despite the fears some people have about snakes, they are very helpful to have around, Land said.

"Often after seeing a snake in their yard, people will say they have a 'snake problem or 'snake infestation,'" he said.

"They compare snakes to pests like mice and roaches, and believe that if you see one snake you'll see more because they'll create 'nests.' This is not true. Snakes do not 'infest' an area because they are by nature solitary creatures that go where the food is. In fact, snakes will eat the pests that create dens and nests around your house.

"I tell people that they do not have a snake problem. They have a pest problem that the snake is trying to help out with."

Common harmless snakes

Here, courtesy of the Virginia Living Museum, are some nonvenomous commonly seen locally:

Eastern ratsnake, aka black ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus)

Seen throughout Virginia

Adults, up to 6 feet long, fairly uniformly black in color; juveniles show a pattern of gray with repeating black blotches.

Not seen often around the yard as they like to stay around sources of freshwater such as streams, ponds and lakes.

Harmless snake that is often confused with venomous cottonmouths because they live around water.

Eastern gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)

Seen throughout Virginia

Variable in color from green and yellow to dark brown with a yellow or white stripe down the back, 48 inches long.

Feed on a wide variety of prey including spiders, insects and fish. They are often food for larger predatory birds such as hawks, eagles and herons.

Flattens its head to appear larger and more menacing for its defense.

¿Rough earthsnake (Virginia striatula)

Seen in Southeastern Virginia

Small, uniformly dark brown snake with a white belly, 12 inches long.

Eats invertebrates such as worms, slugs, snails and insect larvae.

Rarely seen due to its small size and shy nature. It prefers to dig in the dirt and live under logs to find food and avoid larger predators.

Venomous snakes

Meet the venomous snakes, courtesy of the Virginia Living Museum:

Northern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen)

Seen in deep woods and forests throughout Virginia

As the name implies, snake has a copper-red coloration on the head. The body is often tan, with dark hourglass bands that are narrow in the middle and wider on the sides, 24-36 inches long.

Docile unless disturbed or provoked – often remains remain completely motionless when found in the wild.

Females give live birth to three to 15 young; they do not lay eggs.

Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorous)

Seen in Southeastern Virginia

Large, stout snake, 61 inches long, that ranges in color from dark green and yellow or black. Like the copperhead, it has large dark bands that are narrow in the middle and wider on the sides. The tip of the tail of juveniles is a bright, sulfur-yellow.

Lives near swamps and freshwater marshes. Unlike the copperhead, it stands its ground when threatened. Oftentimes it curls up, vibrates its tail, and opens its mouth wide to flash the white color that gives it its name.

Females give live birth to five to nine young; they do not lay eggs.

Canebrake/timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Canebrake rattlesnake refers to the southeastern population found in Virginia. Timber rattlesnake refers to the population found in the western, mountainous region of Virginia. However, they are both listed as the same species.

Large, thick-bodied snake, 30-60 inches long, with several hardened segments on the tail that forms a rattle. Color ranges from yellow to black, with several "zig-zag" dark bands across the back.

Typically lives in deep woods away from urbanized areas; oftentimes, hibernates in communal dens with other snakes, including other venomous and nonvenomous snakes.

For more information about the snakes of Virginia and Hampton Roads, check out the website of the Virginia Herpetological Society at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com and the species information section of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?t=3.

One of the museum's largest events is the three-day "Reptiles: Bizarre and Beautiful" exhibit each President's Day Weekend (Feb. 14-16, 2015). It includes reptiles of all shapes and sizes and from all corners of the globe.